No
نے
CONFIDENTIAL.
Copy to:-
Peking No. 37.
born
6.
92702/32
दिनी
"
"
谿
Sir,
2448
135
213
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONG KONG,
23rd December, 1932.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of your despatch No. 383 of the 24th October, 1932,
transmitting a copy of a letter from Messrs. John
Swire and Sons on the subject of smuggling from Hong
Kong to Chinese territory.
2.
The problem is of course one with which the
Colony has been faced from the beginning of its
history and which has on more than one occasion proved
a source of friction between the Colonial Government
and the Chinese Authorities.
It is perhaps
inevitable that the existence of a free port and
emporium within a short distance of the coast of China
should afford an opportunity to smugglers of which
advantage would be taken in proportion to the height
of the prevailing tariffs and the weakness of the
controlling authority. The first condition has been
provided by the recent relatively large increase of Chinese import duties, and the second by the comparative
apathy of local and provincial authorities throughout
the greater part of China.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER, G.B.E., M.C., M.P.,
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
3.
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